Assembly Bill 34
Court-issued criminal complaints in officer-involved deaths
Topics: Court: Procedure, Death, District attorney, Evidence, Police
Stopped before the full Assembly voted
The recommended passing it, but the full Assembly never voted on it. The last day for votes this session was Mar 19, 2026. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new bill.
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Introduced, passed
Feb 17, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, stopped here
Stopped here. The full Assembly never voted on it.
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Senate vote, not reached
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Governor, not reached
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Law, not reached
Latest entry in the official record, Mar 23, 2026: “Failed to pass pursuant to ”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 25. That version was vetoed.
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it would have done
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Under current law, a district attorney has the discretion as to whether or not to issue a complaint to charge a person with a crime. Current law also provides that, if a district attorney refuses to issue a complaint against a person, a judge may conduct a hearing to determine if there is probable cause to believe that the person committed a crime and, if so, issue a complaint.
Under this bill, when there is an officer-involved death, which is a death that results directly from an action or an omission of a law enforcement officer, and the district attorney determined there was no basis to prosecute the officer, a court may not issue a complaint against the involved officer unless there is new or unused evidence presented.
Who's behind it
14 representatives are its . All 14 are Republicans.
10 more lawmakers .
See all 24 names Hide the names
Authors (14)
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Brent Jacobson · Republican, Assembly
- Elijah Behnke · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Bob Donovan · Republican, Assembly
- Cindi Duchow · Republican, Assembly
- Clint Moses · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Will Penterman · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Swearingen · Republican, Assembly
- Duke Tucker · Republican, Assembly
- Chuck Wichgers · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (10)
- Julian Bradley · Republican, Senate
- Dan Feyen · Republican, Senate
- Rob Hutton · Republican, Senate
- Jesse James · Republican, Senate
- Dave Maxey · Republican, Assembly
- Steve Nass · Republican, Senate
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Patrick Testin · Republican, Senate
- Cory Tomczyk · Republican, Senate
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
How lawmakers voted
There was one vote on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Judiciary vote to recommend it
Passed, 4 to 2 · May 29, 2025
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 4, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Mar 23, 2026
The session ended, and the bill died with it.
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May 29, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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May 29, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 4 to 2.
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May 20, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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May 7, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Apr 24, 2025
1 more representative signed on in support.
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Feb 17, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Judiciary.
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Feb 17, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Moses, Duchow, Dittrich, Piwowarczyk, Armstrong, Brooks, Donovan, B. Jacobson, Penterman, Murphy, Tucker, Swearingen, Wichgers and Behnke; cosponsored by Senators Hutton, Bradley, Wanggaard, Feyen, Nass, Tomczyk, Testin and James
- Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Judiciary
- Apr 24, 2025 · Assembly
Representative Maxey added as a coauthor
- May 7, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- May 20, 2025 · Assembly
Representative O'Connor added as a coauthor
- May 21, 2025 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- May 29, 2025 · Assembly
Report passage recommended by Committee on Judiciary, Ayes 4, Noes 2
- May 29, 2025 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Oct 9, 2025 · Assembly
Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 by Committee on Rules
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Laid on the table
- Mar 23, 2026 · Assembly
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
Terms on this page
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Committee
A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.
Senate Joint Resolution 1
The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.
Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote